reynolds



J. R. REYNOLDS.

FORMER FOR SHAPING THE BACKS 0F BOOK COVERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21,1919.

1,323,319. Patentedbec; 2,1919.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET ls. n. REYNOLDS. FORMER FOR SHAPING THE BACKS 0F BOOK COVERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2|, I919.

1,323,319. Patented Dec. 2,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

unrrnn STATES PATENT ornron.

JOHN R. REYNOLDS, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SMYTH MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONN ECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ronMEnroa SHAPING THE BAcKs or BOOK-COVERS:

Patented-Dec. 2, 1919.

Application filed Zl'une 21, 1919." Serial No. 305,856. i

To all whomz't may concern: I v

Be it known that I, JOHN R. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Formersfor Shaping the Backs of Book- Covers, of which the following is a specification.

A book cover or case has two more or less stiff sides commonly made of paper or pulp board, connected by a back which is usually a strip of cloth or cloth lined with paper, in such .manner that the joints between the edges of the sides and the back will be flexible and allow the ,book to open easily.

This invention relates "to the formers which are used in machines provided to set into the desired shape the backs of such covers. A machine of this class is illustrated and described in U. S. Letters-Patent No. 1230292, issued June 19. 1917, on the application of James C. Gourley.

Books vary greatly in thickness, their back edges differ in shape, and the cover backs extend around the back edges of different books to a greater or less degree.

Consequently provision must be made for different widths of backing material between the creasers, which together with the former shape the cover backs and insure the flexible ioints at the correct localities.

The object of this invention is to provide for machines of this type a former which is the necessity of having a large number of formers of various dimensions for correctly shaping the backs of cases for the many dif ferent sizes of books.

In the accompanying drawings a former embodying this invention is illustrated as designed for application to a machine of the character set forth in the patent referred to. Figure 1 shows a plan of the former and so much of the related mechanism of such a machine as is necessary to an understanding of the construction and use of the improvement. Fig. 2 shows on larger scale a transverse section of the former and related mechanisms with a book cover having its back shaped thereby, on the plane indicated by the dotted line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged plan of the former. Fig. 4: is a side view of the same. Fig. 5 shows a plan of one end of the former with parts. cut away. Fig, 6 is a transverse sec- -quired'shape.h Figs. 1' and 2. adjustable in thickness, and thereby obviate tion on the plane indicated by. the dotted line 66 on Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the plane'indicated by the dotted line 77 on Fig. 3.

In the machine illustrated the covers are stacked between the wallsl of the magazine and one at a time successively'removed from the bottom of the magazine by feed blocks '2 attached to feed chains 3 which pa-ss'around' sprocket wheels 4 mounted at the ends of the machine. They feed blocks engage the top or bottom edges of the. stiff sides 5 of the lowest cover in the stack andf'push it out of the magazine, carrying it alongthemachine bed 6 with the stiff sides held down'by' bars 7 and with the outer edges of the cover side's resting upon the supporting bars 8"which are provided with guide wings 9 adjusted so as to crowd the sides .of thecover together and give the cover-back 1 0 the necessary amount of slack required for its formation. I

As the stifljsides of the cover are pushed-by the feed blocks along the supportingfbars between the guide wings and beneath the holding down bars, the back passes ontothe former llwhich increases in size to that which will give the back the desired shape. At the same time the back passes between the creasers12 which put the creasesinto the back at the joints between the backand sides and hold the back tightly stretched over the former in orderto set it in the re- The. former which is the subject of the I creasers. This bar has in its upper face transversely extending T-shaped slots 14.

Movable transversely on the top of the bar are gibs 15 which have inwardly extending under-cut flanges 16. Screws 17 pass through these gibs into T-shaped blocks 18 which are loosely fitted in the transverse slots in the top of the bed bar. If the screws are loosened the gibs may be moved toward and from each other, being guided by the blocks in the slots in the bed bar. When the screws are tightened the gibs are drawn down closely to the top of the bar and are held in place against movement.

The former plates 19 are arranged so as to extend upwardly parallel with each other between the gibs. The lower edges of the former plates rest upon the top of the bed bar. The former plates have outwardly exthe gibs.

tending shoulders 20 which are inclined to fit the under-cut faces of the flanges on WVhen the gibs are freed by loosening the binding screws and they are adjusted toward or from each other the former plates are carried with them. When the gibs are secured by tightening thescrews the former plates are held firmly in the positions to which they have been moved, along their whole length by the engagement of the under-cut gib flanges with the inclined shoulders on the outside of the lower edges of the formerplates. This method of securing the former plates holds them always upright and parallel.

For the purpose of adjusting these parts toward and from each other when thescrews are loosened, near each end between the former plates is a rotatable arbor, the lower end 21 of which extends into a socket in the bed bar whilethe upper end 22 has a slot by means of which the arbor, may be retated. The inner faces of the former plates are slightly cut away around these arbors to facilitate the entrance of a screw driver or other means by which the arbor may be turned. the top face of the bed bar and between the lower edges of the former plates, is a block 23 that is somewhat longer than it is wide. By turning the arbors and these blocks the former plates and gibs may be moved outwardly so that the plates will be spread to just the required width for proper y shaping the backof the cover, this width, of

course, depending on the thickness and shape of the back edge of the book to which the cover is to be applied. In order to adjust the parts, the screws which hold the gibs are slightly loosen-ed, then the arbors are turned so as to separate the former plates to the required degree, after which the gib screws are tightened. The entrance end 2%. of the former plates is slightly tapered so as to permit the backof the cover to slide on freely without obstruction from the ends ofthe plates.

. The invention claimed is l. A former for shaping the backs of book covers comprising a bed, upright .former plates resting upon and slidable transversely V Secured on each arbor, just above toward and fromeach other on the top of the bed, and means for securing the plates rigidly to the bed at the required distance apart.

2. A former for shaping the backs of book covers which consists of a bed, former plates mounted on the bed and movable thereon toward and from each other, means for separating the plates, and means for securing the plates rigidly to the bed in their desired relation.

3. A former for shaping the backs of book covers comprising a bed, former plates movably mounted upon the bed and having outwardly extending shoulders, and gibs adjustably mounted on the bed and having flanges engaging the said shoulders on the former plates.

4. former for shaping the backs of book covers comprising abed, former plates movable toward and from each other upon lthe bed, gibs adjustably mounted on the bed and adapted to engage the former plates, means. for adjusting the plates and gibs toward and from each other, and means for securing the gibs in position.

5. A former for shaping-the backs of book covers comprising a bed, upright plates arranged parallel on the bed, rotatable arbors mounted upon the bed and extending between said plates, eccentric means on the arbors for separating the plates, and means for holding the plates in adjusted position.

6. A former for shaping the backs of book covers comprising a bed, plates'arranged upright on the bed, said plates having inclined shoulders on the outside of their lower ends, gibs movably mounted on the bed and having under-cut flanges engaging the inclined shoulders on the plates, means for securing the gibs in place, andmeans for 

